Chapter 12 Yardwork
Yardwork
“Are you avoiding me?” Raymond asked with a straight face.
“Why would you think that?” I crossed my arms over my chest and peered around him, hoping to see Jackie’s car. She was long gone.
“You haven’t responded to a single text or answered my calls.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. Moments later, I heard my phone ringing from inside the house. “So your phone does still work.”
“Yep. It works just fine.” I looked back into the house, contemplating if I should answer it. Then, it hit me: Raymond was standing on my porch even though I’d never given him my address. “Wait, how did you figure out where I live?”
“We both work in security, Jericha. I wouldn’t be good at my job if I couldn’t do something as simple as figure out your address.”
“That’s still pretty damn creepy.” I raised a brow at him. “Is that what you do to anyone who doesn’t answer your call?”
“Stop deflecting. What’s the problem here?
I told you once you crossed the line with me, you couldn’t walk it back.
” He placed his hand on the doorframe above my head and leaned in closer.
“Are you switching up on me? And don’t lie to me.
Something's up, or you wouldn’t have cursed when you saw me standing here. ”
“I was just expecting someone else. A friend.” I shrugged and tried to appear as uninterested as possible. “She’s supposed to come back for dinner.”
“Seriously, Jericha?” He cocked his head to the side and held back a laugh. “Telling me your friend is coming back. A tactic so I won’t do something to you? Do you think I plan to hurt you?”
Okay, so he saw right through me.
“Problem? Why are you jumping to conclusions?” I chose to gaslight him instead of admitting he’d caught me.
“Clearly, something is wrong.” He looked around. “You’re hiding out, ignoring my calls, and acting like you don’t trust me.”
“Well, you did find my address like a stalker. But despite that, you’re wrong. I’ve just been busy dealing with some personal things.”
“Can I come in?” he asked. “Maybe I can help.”
“No.” I stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door shut behind me. “It’s not something you can help with. Hence why I had my friend here. I told you she was coming back so you wouldn’t think I had time for a long visit, but I guess that went over your head.”
“Okay.” He took a step back from me. “Something is off. I don’t know why you won’t tell me, but that’s fine. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Also, I left my other phone in your car. I need it.”
“Oh, right. I saw it…after I left. Can’t believe I forgot about that.” I pointed to my garage. “It’s still in the car. I’ll grab it.”
“I’ll come with you,” he insisted.
Not seeing a point in stopping him, I pointed at the front of the garage. “Wait there.”
“You seriously won’t let me inside?” he scoffed.
“I didn’t invite you over here, so no. If you arrive with an invitation, you can come inside.”
I went inside, leaving him on the step. I walked through the house and into the garage from the connected door then manually opened the garage door with the switch on the wall.
As the door lifted, Raymond stood there like a model posing under bright studio lights, and I berated myself for staring so intently at his revealed body.
No, I didn’t need to let my eyes linger on his powerful thighs or his imposing arms, but I did.
“You know this is ridiculous, right?” Raymond called out to me as the door finished its accension. “I’ve been inside you, but I can’t come into your house?”
“Don’t question my boundaries, just respect them.” I jutted my chin out, challenging him to say anything else.
“Fair enough.” He held his hands up and waited as I reached into the car to grab the phone.
“Damnit,” I fussed after realizing the phone had slipped out of reach. The damn thing had slid in between the seat and the center console.
Damn my chubby fingers! I thought to myself as I tried adjusting the seat, hoping that would give me a better chance.
“Are you okay?” I heard his voice and could tell he’d come into the garage, but I didn’t look back to confirm. “Do you need help?”
“No, I’m fine. I got it. Your phone slid under the seat.
I’m trying to reach it,” I fussed as I reached further.
My fingertips touched the thing, but I couldn’t get close enough.
I leaned further into the car, scooting my ass up in the air as I stretched my arm, trying to reach it.
“If this damn seat would go back a little further, I could get it.”
I paused when I felt the warmth behind me. He wasn’t touching me, but he was close enough that if I moved an inch, my ass would be against his dick. I clinched my cheeks as if that would do anything to help the situation. Yeah, girl, suck those yams in!
“Let me help,” Raymond offered again.
“Um, I got it.” I wiggled some more, grunting as my efforts actually pushed the phone deeper into the crevice. “Fuck.”
“Come on, don’t be like that.” He touched my shoulder then stepped aside to give me room to move. “I know you can do anything you put your mind to, but this is ridiculous.”
“Fine,” I relented and let him take over the effort. “Have at it.”
“Thank you.” He nodded as I moved out of the way.
I stood aside and rolled my eyes, ready to laugh at his failure. If I couldn’t get it, I was sure he would have no better luck. I prepared to ogle his ass the way I was sure he had done me, but it only took him a few seconds before he had it in his hands.
“Easy.” He stood and waved the phone at me.
“Great.” I clapped slowly. “Glad you managed. Thanks for stopping by.”
“Jericha, what’s the problem?” He slipped the phone into his pocket. “I hate to keep repeating myself, but clearly, there is an issue here. Talk to me.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I shrugged. “Well, you have your phone now. Thanks for coming.”
He closed the car door but didn’t leave. Raymond stood defiantly next to the car and waited for me to give in. I would not.
“You’re not going to leave, are you?” I asked.
“No.” He shook his head. “Not until you talk to me.”
“Fine. Then you’re going to work.” I looked over at the garden supplies stocked at the back of the garage. “I hope you don’t mind getting dirty.”
“What?” he asked.
“I got some weeds to pull.” I grabbed a pair of garden gloves from the wall and threw them at him. No, I wasn’t planning on doing the yardwork, but I figured I might as well get something out of the awkward situation.
“You can’t be serious.” He laughed. “You prefer yardwork over conversation?”
“Oh, now you’re ready to leave?” I scoffed. “Just like a man. They want to be all up in your business until there is some real work to do.”
“Well, that’s a sexist thing to say.” He sighed and slipped the gloves on. “I’m not scared of a little work.”
“Great!” I turned to the door at the back of the garage that led into the backyard. “Follow me.”
He stepped into the yard and gasped. “Wow, this looks amazing. It’s like a little oasis back here.”
“It’s my place of peace.” I pointed at him. “So don’t mess anything up!”
“I’ll do my best.” He nodded. “No promises, though. Where do I start?”
I really didn't have anything I wanted him to do, but the moment he asked, I spotted a patch of weeds growing by the fence. I left him admiring the yard and walked over to the patch. They were new buds and would take little time to deal with, but I had to make him work harder than that.
I glanced back at him to make sure he wasn’t looking then touched the weed.
I felt the power pulse through my hand like sparklers.
With each stroke of my finger, I imbued my magic into its roots, making it grip into the land stronger.
More weeds sprouted up quickly and bowed to my presence.
Did I need to make these weeds more stubborn to pull?
Maybe not, but I wanted him to experience what I felt when he said he wouldn't leave me alone. It felt like poetic justice.
“I have some stubborn weeds here,” I finally called back to him. “You're big and strong. Maybe you can pull them out for me.”
“That's all you need?” He rolled up his sleeves, flexing as he did. “And here I thought you had some real work for me to do. Won’t even need these gloves.”
“I'm sure you'll make quick work of it.” I stood. “That means you’ll be able to head on home a lot sooner.”
Raymond walked around me and pulled the gloves from his hands, making an exaggerated display of it as if he was trying to tantalize me.
He kneeled, gripped the weed by the neck, and pulled.
Veins in his arms and hands popped out. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he tugged at the weed that would not give.
The man pulled so damn hard, he lost his grip and fell flat on his ass.
“Maybe you do need the gloves.” I picked them up from the ground where he dropped them and waved them at him. “They’ll help with that weak grip of yours.”
“What the hell?” He stood and dusted himself off. “My grip isn’t weak. Those weeds are fucking bionic.”
“Bionic weeds, really?” it took everything I had in me not to laugh in his face. “Look, I know they're stubborn. I can't seem to figure it out. I've tried everything to pull them out of the ground.”
“You sure this isn't a trick?” He looked at me. “Something isn’t right here.”
“A trick? Now why would I have weeds planted as a trick?” I crossed my arms in offense to his words. “Do you think I thought you were coming over here and planted this for you? Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?”
“I don't understand how this is possible. It's like trying to pull a chain wrapped around a boulder.” He kneeled beside the weeds, trying to get a better look. He did another gentle tug and grunted. “How are they so firmly in the ground?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. I was going to call in a professional to figure it out.” I sighed. “Guess I’ll still be doing that.”